Post-Super Bowl 'This Is Us' is Most-Watched Drama on Any Network in 10 Years

Feb 12, 2018

Television

Post-Super Bowl 'This Is Us' is Most-Watched Drama on Any Network in 10 Years

Key Takeaways

At 27 million viewers, “This Is Us” is the most-watched post-Super Bowl telecast in six years, jumping +9.4 million viewers vs. the year-ago post-Super Bowl drama “24: Legacy”.

“This Is Us” sets series record, scores as primetime’s top non-sports telecast on any net since last February’s Oscars.

The night’s special “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” grabs 8.4 million viewers, up +5.8 million vs. the show’s season average to make this its fourth most watched telecast ever.

Universal City, CA

Sunday’s special post-Super Bowl telecast of “This Is Us” has scored as NBC’s most-watched scripted show in more than 13 years, since “ER” the night of the “Friends” finale, while also ranking as the most-watched drama on any network in 10 years, since the 2008 post-Super Bowl episode of “House.”

With an average 27.0 million viewers, it’s the most-watched post-Super Bowl telecast in six years, since “The Voice” in 2012.

And at 12:24 a.m. ET, a special post-Super Bowl edition of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” delivered 8.4 million viewers, a gain of +5.8 million persons versus the show’s season average, making this Fallon’s fourth most watched “Tonight Show” ever.

NBC’s 10:45-11:49 p.m. ET post-Super Bowl telecast of “This Is Us” averaged 26.976 million viewers overall and a 9.3 rating in adults 18-49, according to “fast official” ratings from Nielsen Media Research, setting series records in both measures and delivering the best non-sports results for any network since last February’s Academy Awards.

It’s the most-watched scripted show on NBC since the May 6, 2004 telecast of “ER” (28.4 million) which followed the “Friends” finale. In 18-49, it’s NBC’s top-rated scripted series in nine years (since the post-Super Bowl episode of “The Office,” 11.0 on Feb. 1, 2009) and top-rated drama in more than 13 years (since “ER’ on Nov. 11, 2004, 9.4).

It’s the most-watched drama on any network since the Feb. 3, 2008 post-Super Bowl telecast of Fox’s “House” (29.1 million).

Last night’s “This Is Us” beat the show’s prior series record in total viewers by 14.0 million persons or +109% (26.976 million vs. 12.938 million for the show’s second season premiere on Sept. 26, 2017, “live plus same day”) and topped its previous record in adult 18-49 rating by +138% (9.3 vs. 3.9 on Sept. 26, 2017).

Versus the show’s season averages, last night’s “This Is Us” is up +16.7 million persons or +162% in total viewers (26.976 vs. 10.299 million) and +232% in 18-49 (9.3 vs. 2.8).

Note that “This Is Us” will increase its viewership dramatically through DVR time-shifting and VOD. The show’s prior telecast in its regular timeslot on Jan. 23 scored NBC’s biggest lifts in measurement history going from “live plus same day” to “live plus seven day” Nielsens in both total viewers and adults 18-49. It was also the biggest 18-49 L+7 increase on any broadcast network in more than two years.

The Jan. 23 episode grew by +7.099 million viewers overall (9.480 million to 16.579 million) and +2.62 rating points or +102% in adults 18-49 (from a 2.57 to a 5.19) going from L+SD to L+7. The increase of +2.62 rating points is the biggest L+7 lift for any show on any broadcast network since December 2015 (“The Big Bang Theory,” +2.83 on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015).

The 12:24-1:35 a.m. ET post-Super Bowl edition of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” delivered 8.405 million viewers overall and a 2.61 rating in adults 18-49, according to “fast official” ratings from Nielsen Media Research, soaring +5.8 million persons or +224% above the show’s season average in total viewers (8.405 million vs. 2.596 million) and +308% in adults 18-49 (2.61 vs. 0.64).

“Tonight” jumped +3.5 million persons or +70% versus the most recent post-

Super Bowl late-night telecast in total viewers (8.405 million vs. 4.934 million viewers overall for “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on Feb. 7, 2016) and +50% in 18-49 (2.61 vs. 1.74).

It’s the fourth most-watched telecast ever of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” behind only two episodes during the show’s premiere week of post-Olympic telecasts, Feb. 17 and Feb. 21, 2014, and the prior post-Super Bowl edition in 2015. In 18-49, it’s the fifth highest rated episode, behind three premiere-week programs from February 2014 and the 2015 post-Super Bowl telecast.

NBC also saw strong results from the late news after the Eagles-Patriots game on its local stations, with those stations up +7% in metered-market households versus their ratings from three years ago, the last time NBC carried the Super Bowl (with an average 9.5 rating last night versus an 8.9 on Feb. 1, 2015 in the 56 markets metered by Nielsen). In the key news demo of adults 25-54, NBC stations were up +15% in the 25 markets with local people meters (6.1 vs. 5.3).